Jesus addresses the men sent to capture him.
Matthew 26:56 But all this was done, that the scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.
Matthew 26:56 But this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled.”
This, however, whole thing has happened in order that they might be filled in, those writings of the prophets.
This verse echoes Matthew 26:54, which uses much the same vocabulary. The earlier verse was addressed to the apostles, while this verse is addressed to those arresting Jesus. The earlier verse was phrased more like a question; this verse looks more like a simple statement.
Jesus saw himself as part of a story that was written before he was born.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "all" is not the common word usually translated as "all."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "done" is not the common word usually translated as "done."
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "scriptures" does not capture the more general meaning of the word.
- UW - Untranslated Word -- The word "synagogues" means "meeting." It is the untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
- CW - Confusing Word -- The "all" is not the common word usually translated as "all."
- UW - Untranslated Word -- The word "synagogues" means "meeting." It is the untranslated Greek word adopted into English.
But - - The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. When used in writing, it creates complex sentences, but when spoken, it makes a good pausing point so that an important or humorous word can follow.
all - (CW) The word translated as "all" means something that is "complete" or "the whole" of something, and can mean "the whole universe" as well as being "safe and sound" in being kept "whole." It is not the Greek word usually translated as "all." Here, it plays the role of a noun, so "whole thing."
this - The word translated as "this" means "from here" or "this/that thing."
was -- This helping verb "was" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past.
done, - (CW) The word translated as "was done" means "to become" or "to come into existence," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When referring to events, this word means "happens." This is not the word that is usually translated as "do" or "done,"
that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
scriptures - (CW) "Scriptures" is a noun that means "writing", "the art of writing," and "that which is written," so, the "writings." It doesn't have the specific sense of religious writing that "scriptures" does. It might also be worth noting that the Greek word translated as "scriptures" literally means "a drawing." For the Greeks, both drawings and words created a "picture" or a man-made, artificial representation of reality.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
prophets - (UW) The Greek word translated as "of the prophets" means "one who speaks for God", "interpreter" and was the highest level of priesthood in Egypt. Christ uses it to refer not only to divine spokespeople, but their books in the OT. It is from the verb that means "to say before" or "to shine before."
might -- This helping verb "might" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
fulfilled. - - "Fulfilled" is a verb that means "to fill", "to fulfill," and "to fill full." It is passive and in a form that indicates something that "might" happen, so "might be fulfilled" or "might be filled." It
But - - The Greek word translated as "but" joins phrases in an adversarial way. Since it always falls in the second position, translating it as "however" often captures its feeling better. When used in writing, it creates complex sentences, but when spoken, it makes a good pausing point so that an important or humorous word can follow.
this - The word translated as "this" means "from here" or "this/that thing."
has -- This helping verb "has" indicates that the verb is the tense indicating an action completed in the past.
all - (CW) The word translated as "all" means something that is "complete" or "the whole" of something, and can mean "the whole universe" as well as being "safe and sound" in being kept "whole." It is not the Greek word usually translated as "all." Here, it plays the role of a noun, so "whole thing."
taken place - (CW) The word translated as "taken place" means "to become" or "to come into existence," that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of "being," which is existence in the current state. When referring to events, this word means "happens." This is not the word that is usually translated as "do" or "done,"
that the of the prophets might be fulfilled.
that -- The word translated as "that" is an adverb "in that place," "there," "where," "when," or as a conjunction that starts a subordinate clause "that," "when," "in order that" or "because."
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
writings - "Writings " is a noun that means "writing", "the art of writing," and "that which is written," so, the "writings." It doesn't have the specific sense of religious writing that "scriptures" does. It might also be worth noting that the Greek word translated as "scriptures" literally means "a drawing." For the Greeks, both drawings and words created a "picture" or a man-made, artificial representation of reality.
of -- This word "of" comes from the genitive case of the following word that requires the addition of a preposition in English. The most common is the "of" of possession.
the -- The word translated as "the" is the Greek definite article, without a noun, it has the sense of "the one." The Greek article is much closer to our demonstrative pronouns ("this," "that," "these," "those") than the English "the." See this article for more.
prophets - (UW) The Greek word translated as "of the prophets" means "one who speaks for God", "interpreter" and was the highest level of priesthood in Egypt. Christ uses it to refer not only to divine spokespeople, but their books in the OT. It is from the verb that means "to say before" or "to shine before."
might -- This helping verb "might" indicates that the verb indicates a possibility. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
be -- This helping verb "be" indicates that the verb is passive. Helping or auxiliary verbs are needed to translate the Greek verb forms into English.
fulfilled. - - "Fulfilled" is a verb that means "to fill", "to fulfill," and "to fill full." It is passive and in a form that indicates something that "might" happen, so "might be fulfilled" or "might be filled." It
Τοῦτο [93 verses] (adj sg neut nom acc) "This" is from touto, which means "from here", "from there", "this [thing]," or "that [thing]."
δὲ [446 verses](conj) "But" is from de which means "but" and "on the other hand." It is the particle that joins sentences in an adversarial way but can also be an explanation of cause ("so").
ὅλον [23 verses](adj sg neut nom/acc) "All" is from holos, which means "the whole", "entire", "complete", "complete in all its parts", "wholly", "altogether", "on the whole", "speaking generally", "utter," "actually", "really, "the universe," and "safe and sound."
γέγονεν [117 verses](verb 3rd sg perf ind) "Was done" is from ginomai, which means "to become", "to come into being", "to happen", and "to be produced." It means changing into a new state of being. It is the complementary opposite of the verb "to be" (eimi)which indicates existence in the same state.
ἵνα [134 verses](adv/conj)"That" is from hina, which means "in that place", "there", "where", "when", "that", "in order that", "when," and "because."
πληρωθῶσιν [21 verses](verb 3rd pl aor subj pass) "Might be fulfilled" is pleroo, which mean "to fill", "to fulfill", "to make complete", "to pay in full", "to make pregnant," and "to fill full."
αἱ [821 verses](article pl fem nom) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
γραφαὶ [13 verses](noun pl fem nom) "The scriptures" is from graphe, which means "representing by means of lines", "a drawing", "writing", "the art of writing," and "that which is written." It came to mean "scripture" from its use in the Gospels.
τῶν [821 verses](article pl masc gen) "The" is the Greek definite article, hos, ("the").
προφητῶν. [37 verses](noun pl masc gen) "The prophets" is prophetes, which means "one who speaks for a god and interprets his will", "interpreter", "keepers of the oracle", "the highest level of priesthood in Egypt", "interpreter," and "herald." It is a verb that means "to shine forth" It is a form of the verb, prophao. which means "to shine forth," or "to shine before."
"This, however," he said, gesturing at the entire group, "whole thing has come into existence so that they might be filled in: the sketches of the prophets."